Method and means for separating cars and car couplers



H 9 T l 2 INVENTOR.

Dec. 6, 1966 D. HERBERT METHOD AND MEANS FOR SEPARATING CARS AND CAR COUPLERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 30, 1965 FIG. 2

DONALD L. HERBERT AT TORNE Y Dec. 6, 1966 D. L- HERBERT METHOD AND MEANS FOR SEPARATING CARS AND CAR COUPLERS Filed April 30, 1965 l'l III I 40 54 44 47 4a 46 49 45 C II 50 2 SheetsSheet 2 r FIG. 3

INVENTOR. DONALD L. HERBERT mum ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 289,857 METHOD AND MEAblS FOR SEPARATING CARS AND CAR COUPLERS Donald L. Herbert, Lexington, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio rass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New ersey Filed Apr.- 30, 1965, Ser. No. 452,168 6 Claims. (Cl. 213166) This application relates to an operating mechanism for couplers on'mine cars and to vehicular couplers generally.

In mining operations in which rail cars are utilized for transporting the mine product from the working face to the mouth of the mine or to a tipple or other handling equipment, it is necessary to consolidate strings of cars into trains, separate trains or cars into strings of cars, or reorder cars in the train or string, all referred to as train make-up or train break-up. In make-up and break-up of mine trains, it is necessary to connect and disconnect cars at various locations in the mine so that a trainman is required to go with the train to operate the car couplers and to cooperate with the locomotive engineer or working crew. Operation of the couplers by the train engineer is generally hindered in existing designs of car couplers by reason of the fact that the couplers may be under tension so that the coupling mechanism cannot be released when the train is stopped.

In the coupler apparatus described herein, there is provided an operating mechanism for the coupler locking mechanism of a mine car such that the mechanism may be cocked or set into an uncoupling position when the car couplers are held in coupled relation by reason of tractive force between the cars. Subsequent movement of the cars, relieving the tractive force between the cars, releases the coupler locking mechanism and permits the couplers to separate when the cars are moved apart.

The operating mechanism comprises a spring and overcenter mechanism connected to the cam lever of the coupler, such that an unlocking force is exerted on the cam lever by the spring when the mechanism is set in the uncoupling position. Accordingly, the spring draws the cam lever into the unlocking position to release the coupler locking mechanism when the cars are moved together. An associated operating mechanism is provided for returning the over-center mechanism to the coupling condition, with no force exerted on the cam lever, after the cars are separated.

The apparatus described herein embodies a general method of separating cars and car couplers which may be variously embodied in other useful couplers and coupler operating devicesand mechanisms in rail cars, road vehicles, and the like.

The invention, together with further objects, features, and advantages thereof, will be understood by reference to the following detail specification and claims, taken in connection with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front end view of a mine car embodying coupler operating mechanism as described herein;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the mine car and coupler operating mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the adjacent ends of two mine cars in coupled relation, with the improved coupler operating mechanism in its normal or uncooked position; V

FIG. 4 illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 3 with the coupler operating mechanism cocked preparatory to uncoupling; and

FIG. 5 illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 3 in which the coupler operating mechanism has unlocked the couplers preparatory to separating the cars.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, there is shown a 3,289,857 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 mine car 10 having wheels 11 and 12, mechanical coupler 13, and coupler operating mechanism 14. The coupler 13 is of known design and construction, having a cam lever 15 for moving a locking cam 16 into and out of locking relation with the knuckle of a cooperating coupler on another car. The operating mechanism 14' is a new or improved mechanism for operating the cam lever 15 to facilitate consolidation and separation of a plurality of the cars 10 into strings or trains.

The operating mechanism 14 comprises a shaft 18 which extends through openings in stanchions, consti' tuted, for example, by vertical frame members 19 and 20 and laterally spaced brackets 21 and 22 at the fore part of the car 10. The shaft 18 is arranged to rotatein the openings in the stanchions and is formed with two radially extending parts comprising handles 23 and 24- for operating the mechanism from the two sides of the car.

The shaft 18 is connected to the cam lever 15 by means of an operating lever 25 and a link means comprising a chain 26 such that rotary movement of the shaft 18 causes a corresponding movement of the cam lever 15 on the pivot pin 27 of the coupler 13 for a predetermined movement of the handles 23 and 24 and the shaft 18. The operating lever 25 comprises an elongate plate-like member welded to the shaft 18 at the mid part of the shaft.

The operating mechanism 14 includes two springs 28 and 29, secured to the body of the car 10 by two brackets or attachments 30 and 31 and connected to the handles 23 and 24 by two attachments 32 and 33 arranged at an appropriate distance from the center of rotation of the shaft 18. According to the invention, the springs 28 and 29 determine two positions of the handles 23 and 24 and of the shaft 18a closed or coupling position in which the handles 23 and 24 are disposed below the line of the shaft 18 and engage and are restrained by two stops 34 and 35, and an open or uncoupling position in which the handles 23 and 24 are disposed above the line of the shaft 18 and the springs 28 and 29 exert a force on the cam lever 15 through the operating lever 25 and the chain 26. The two positions just referred to are over-center positions in which the operating handles and shaft are held against the associated parts by the tensile force due to the extension of the springs 28 and 29.

The construction and operation of the operating mechanism 14 will be further understoodfrom consideration of FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, wherein two mine cars 40 and 41, each similar to mine car 10 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, are shown with the opposite ends thereof held in coupled relation by the associated couplers 42 and 43 and an operating mechanism 44 on the car 40 corresponding to the operating mechanism 14 on the car 10.

In FIG. 3 the operating mechanism 44 is in a closed or coupled position with the handle 45, corresponding to the handle 23, held against a stop 46, corresponding to the stop 34, by the action of the spring 47. In this position the operating lever 48, corresponding to the lever 25, is inclined downward so that the chain 49 is slack and the cam release lever 50 of the coupler 42 is in looking position.

In FIG. 4 the operating handle 45 is moved to the open or uncoupling position, wherein the handle is rotated outward away from the car body and the spring 47 assumes a position line between the bracket 51 and the attachment to the lever 45 and outwardly of and beyond the line of the associated shaft (corresponding to the shaft 18 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2). In this position the operating lever 48 is moved upward so that the chain 49 is tensioned against the restraining force of the cam lever 50. It is understood that the cars 40 and 41 are so disposed that there is tractive force between the couplers 42 and 43, or that the couplers 42 and 43 are so engaged that the cam of the coupler 42 is held in engagement with the coupling part of the coupler 43 and the cam lever 50 cannot be moved upward to release the coupler locking mechanism. Accordingly, the disposition of the operating mechanism 44 in FIG. 4 is such that movement of one or both of the cars relatively together releases the holding force on the coupler locking mechanism and the cam lever 50 is moved upward under the force exerted by the spring 47 and the associated spring connected to the second handle of the operating mechanism.

FIG. illustrates the condition of the operating mechanism and the cam lever 50 following release of the locking mechanism. In this condition the handle 45 and the lever 48 have been moved upward by the spring 47 so that the cam lever 50 has been drawn into the uncoupling position. In this condition the cars may be separated by tractive force on one or the other of the cars away from the remaining car.

The operating mechanism may be cooked or set into the uncoupling position by the train engineer who then returns to the locomotive to separate the cars, as just described.

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 illustrative apparatus for resetting the operating mechanism, including a chain 52 connected to the car 41 by means of a bracket 53 and a lever 54 mounted on the shaft of the operating mechanism, corresponding to the shaft 18 in the device of FIGS. 1 and 2. The lever 54 is adapted to receive the end link of the chain 52, and is arranged on the shaft of the operating mechanism at an angle such that the separating movement of the two cars 40 and 41, from the position shown in FIG. 5, draws the lever 54 away from the car 40 and returns the shaft and the handle 45 back to the closed or coupled position shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the lever 54 is so disposed that the chain 52 may slide clear of the lever when the cars separate.

In the operating mechanism 14 of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, the levers 55 and 56 on the shaft 18 are adapted to cooperate with chains, each similar to the chain 52, on opposite sides of a car cooperating with the car 10.

The couplers 13, 42, and 43 may be of the same design as the couplers described in U.S. Patent 2,225,418 of December 17, 1940, and U.S. Patent 2,283,731 of May 19, 1942, but the invention may be practiced with order couplers and other locking mechanisms. The cars 40 and 41 have the adjacent ends 57 and 58 of the cars arranged for continuous loading and exemplify an advantageous use of the invention.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is not intended to restrict the scope of the invention and that various rearrangements of the parts and modifications of the design may be resorted to. The following claims are directed to combinations of elements which embody the invention or inventions of this application.

' I claim:

1. In coupler apparatus for a car in which there is a movable locking cam engaged with a coupler part of an associated car and in which uncoupling movement of the locking cam is prevented by tractive force bQ'FWWIl I11? cars, in combination with the first-named car, operating mechanism comprising a shaft rotatably mounted on stanchion members on the said car, an operating lever on the shaft, link means connected between the operating lever and a cam lever on the locking cam, a radially directed part on the shaft, elongate spring means connected to the shaft and to a fixed attachment member on the car for transverse movement of the spring means past the shaft upon rotation of the shaft and the said radially directed part, the spring means being extensively connected between the attachment member and the radially directed part to determine a center position of the shaft and operating lever in a maximally extended condition of the spring in alignment with the shaft, and two over-center positions, one in each direction from the said center position, comprising a coupling position in which the locking cam is free to move into locking engagement with the coupler of the associated car and an uncoupling position in which the force of the spring is exerted upon the cam lever for moving the locking cam out of locking engagement thereof when holding forces between the couplers are relieved upon relatively together movement of the cars.

2. In coupler apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the shaft extends transversely of the car and there are two said radially directed parts, one at each end of the shaft, comprising handles for the shaft, each radially directed part having a spring means connected thereto.

3. Coupler apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which there is a stop on the car engaged by the radially directed part limiting rotational movement of the shaft in the coupling position.

4. Coupler apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which there is a reset mechanism comprising a second radially directed part on the shaft and means connected between the associated car and the second radially directed part for turning the shaft upon separation of the cars to return the operating mechanism to the coupling position thereof, the said link means being separably connected to the said second radially directed part.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, in which the second radially directed part comprises a lever and the connected means comprises a chain having a link thereof received'over the lever and arranged for sliding off the lever when the cars separate.

6. For use in the combination of claim 1, a shaft, an operating lever on the shaft adapted for coupling to a cam lever by link means, a radially directed part on the shaft, and spring means adapted to be connected between the said radially directed part and a bracket on the car.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 735,262 8/ 1903 Hutsell 21 3-162 2,350,470 6/1944 Metzger 213-146 2,408,877 10/1946 Pinder 213-178 FOREIGN PATENTS 694,303 12/ 1949 Great Britain.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. B. FAUST, Assistant Examiner, 

1. IN COUPLER APPARATUS FOR A CAR IN WHICH THERE IS A MOVABLE LOCKING CAM ENGAGED WITH A COUPLER PART OF AN ASSOCIATED CAR AND IN WHICH UNCOUPLING MOVEMENT OF THE LOCKING CAM IS PREVENTED BY TRACTIVE FORCES BETWEEN THE CARS, IN COMBINATION WITH THE FIRST-NAMED CAR, OPERATING MECHANISM COMPRISING A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON STANCHION MEMBERS ON THE SAID CAR, AN OPERATING LEVER ON THE SHAFT, LINK MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE OPERATING LEVER AND A CAM LEVER ON THE LOCKING CAM, A RADIALLY DIRECTED PART ON THE SHAFT, ELONGATE SPRING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SHAFT AND TO A FIXED ATTACHMENT MEMBER ON THE CAR FOR TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE SPRING MEANS PAST THE SHAFT UPON ROTATION OF THE SHAFT AND THE SAID RADIALLY DIRECTED PART, THE SPRING MEANS BEING EXTENSIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN THE ATTACHMENT MEMBER AND THE RADIALLY DIRECTED PART TO DETERMINE A CENTER POSITION OF THE SHAFT AND OPERATING LEVER IN A MAXIMALLY EXTENDED CONDITION OF THE SPRING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SHAFT, AND TWO OVER-CENTER POSITIONS, ONE IN EACH DIRECTION FROM THE SAID CENTER POSITION, COMPRISING A COUPLING POSITION IN WHICH THE LOCKING CAM IS FREE TO MOVE INTO LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COUPLER OF THE ASSOCIATED CAR AND AN UNCOUPLING POSITION IN WHICH THE FORCE OF THE SPRING IS EXERTED UPON THE CAM LEVER FOR MOVING THE LOCKING CAM OUT OF LOCKING ENGAGEMENT THEREOF WHEN HOLDING FORCES BETWEEN THE COUPLERS ARE RELIEVED UPON RELATIVELY TOGETHER MOVEMENT OF THE CARS. 